I have a SONY Vaio PCG-SR7K ultraportable notebook. I am interested in
replacing the existing 12GB hard drive with a 40GB hard drive. The
process should be simple enough but for one hard constraint. The
PCMCIA slot on the machine does not work -- so, I cannot boot from the
Windows XP setup disk using the bootable sony CD ROM. I do have a USB
floppy drive -- but my VAIO cannot boot from it.

I was wondering if there was a way to copy the entire content of my
old hard drive onto the new hard drive via my desktop computer. I
could then simply pop in the new drive into my vaio and get running. I
understand there is an adapter I can buy to help me with the transfer
(40 pin to 44 pin  IDE adapter or 2.5' 3.5' ide adapter.)

I am looking for the following:

1) step-by-step directions for installing the 40 pin - 44 pin IDE
adapter into my desktop machine and directions for connecting my new
laptop hard drive to the adapter.

2) instructions for copying the entire contents of the hard drive
currently in my vaio (the vaio laptop will be connected to my desktop
machine via firewire)onto the new hard drive

Try a program called Casper which you can get at download.com. It is
supposed to be much better than Norton Ghost and similar imaging
programs in that it copies *everything*. Good luck!

Shiva, Thanks for the tip about Casper. Certainly has much better
reviews than the other backup/cloning software alternatives.